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An exchange-traded note (ETN) is a senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt security issued by an underwriting bank. Similar to other debt securities, ETNs have a maturity date and are backed only by the credit of the issuer. ETNs are designed to provide investors access to the returns of various market benchmarks. The returns of ETNs are usually linked to the performance of a market benchmark or strategy, less investor fees. When an investor buys an ETN, the underwriting bank promises to pay the amount reflected in the index, minus fees upon maturity. Thus ETN has an additional risk compared to an ETF; if the credit of the underwriting bank becomes suspect, the investment might lose value, the same way a senior debt would. Though linked to the performance of a market benchmark, ETNs are not equities or index funds, but they do share several characteristics of the latter. Similar to equities, they are traded on an exchange and can be sold short. Similar to index funds, they are linked to the return of a benchmark index. But as debt securities, ETNs don't actually own anything they are tracking. The first ETN was developed and issued by the Equity Structured Products Group at Morgan Stanley in March 2002 under the product name BOXES as a way to access the biotechnology index at very low cost. In 2006, Barclays re-marketed the product under the trade name () Exchange-Traded Notes. This was soon followed by Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, and Swedish Export Credit Corporation. In 2008, additional issuers entered the market with their own offerings; these include BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, UBS, Lehman Brothers, and Credit Suisse. As of April 2008, there were 56 ETNs from nine issuers tracking different indexes. The popularity of ETNs is mainly due to the advantages that it offers to investors. ==Structure== The returns of ETNs are linked to the performance of a market benchmark or strategy, less investor fees. As discussed previously, ETNs are debt notes. When held to maturity, the investor will receive a cash payment that is linked to the performance of the corresponding index during the period beginning on the trade date and ending at maturity, less investor fees. Typically, ETNs do not offer principal protection. ETNs could also be liquidated before their maturity by trading them on the exchange or by redeeming a large block of securities directly to the issuing bank. The redemption is typically on a weekly basis and a redemption charge may apply, subjected to the procedures described in the relevant prospectus. The investor fee is calculated cumulatively based on the yearly fee and the performance of the underlying index and increases each day based on the level of the index or currency exchange rate on that day. Because the investor fee reduces the amount of return at maturity or upon redemption, if the value of the underlying decreases or does not increase significantly, the investor may receive less than the principal amount of investment at maturity or upon redemption. Since ETNs are unsecured, unsubordinated debts, their risk is that of bonds of similar priority in the company's capital structure. Often issued off medium-term note shelves, ETNs would be pari passu with other debt issued off the same shelf. Therefore, ETNs are backed by the credit of the underwriting issuer. Like other debt securities, ETNs do not have voting rights. Unlike other debt securities, interest is not paid during the term of most ETNs. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Exchange-traded note」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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